What are the colon cancer treatments for my mom at 69?

Question

Hi doctor,

My mom is 69 years old, a smoker, and she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She used to suffer from stomach pain, and we ended up doing a colonoscopy for it, and the doctor found a tumor. We need to know what the best way is to help her and what is recommended in her case?

Should the doctor remove part of the colon?
Does she need chemotherapy?
What stage is she at?
Is this kind of cancer treatable?

Can you please help in this regard? Her sister, brother, mother, and uncle passed away from different cancers, but her late mother had the same colon cancer.

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have gone through the reports of your mother (attachment removed to protect patient identity). As per reports, she has sigmoid colon cancer. There is no distant spread of cancer (not spread outside the colon) as per the CT scan reports.

The report is also showing multiple renal cysts, pelvic cysts, and sigmoid diverticula. She also has a strong family history of cancer. So, I recommend that other family members undergo genetic counseling and enroll in a screening program.

It looks like she has stage 2 or 3 colon cancer. But she should do a PET scan to rule out metastasis. She is at high risk because of her strong family history of cancer and smoking habit.

Regarding treatment, if the tumor is localized or has limited metastasis, she will benefit from surgical removal of the part of the colon if feasible. After surgery, the further treatment plan and chemotherapy decision will depend upon the histopathological report and the actual stage of the tumor.

Also, it is difficult for me to comment on the actual treatment plan without examining the patient, and you have not attached the colonoscopy report, renal, liver, and full blood chemistry tests.

I hope this information helps you.

Feel free to reach out in case of further queries.

Thank you.